Transmission control



H. W. PRICE TRANSMISSION CONTROL Dec. 31,1940.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I M010 M PIP/6'5 Filed Sept. 6, 1938 ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1940. H. w. PRICE TRANSMISSION CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. '6, 1938 VIII/Ir INVENTOR 49010 W/ /F/CE ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1940. H. w. PRICE TRANSMISSION CONTROL Filed Sept. 6, 1958 s Shets-Sheet s I NV EN TOR 2 145 010 M PR/CE TTORNEY I 0 J n KHAN Dec. 31, 1940'. H. w. PRICE TRANSMISSION CONTROL Filed Sept. 6, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR //A/?0Z0 NPR/CE BY 5 A TTORNEY Dec. 31, 1940. H. w. PRICE J TRANSMISSION CONTROL Filed Sept. 6, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR I HA/Pfll BY 0 M /P/CE ATTORNEY Patented Dec; 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

riwvsmssron comor.

Harold W. Price, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Aviation corporation, South Bend, 11111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 8, 1938, Serial No. 228,484

' 1Claim. ((174-335) This invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly to controlling means for the change-speed transmissions thereof.

There have been proposed various substitutes for the transmission, the transmission gear shifting lever, various positions for the shifting lever,

v and other modifications or the present generally used system, all designed for the purpose of simpliiying the operations required or the driver. Some of these proposals are automatic, or semiautomatic, in their action, but most of them are more complicated to design, to manufacture and to service than is the construction now in general use, and they are, for these reasons, objectionable. 0n the other hand, there are definite objections to the construction now in general use and there is definite need for improvement, if such improvement may be accomplished without running into the complications which form so powerful an obstacle to the prior proposals.

One oi the objections to the present system is the length of movement required or the gear shift lever or, if the movement is small, the relatively large force required to move said lever.

" It is also to be noted that the present day gear shirt lever constitutes an obstruction in the driver's compartment and prevents complete freedomtsot movement or the driver and other occupan It is therefore one of the objects or the present invention to provide a transmission gear control mechanism so constituted as to avoid the above-, referred-to diiilculties.

A further object is to provide, in a manually controlled power operated gear shitting mechanism, a novel control apparatus therefor ineluding an arrangement insuring that the extent or movement of the gear shifting member will be substantially proportional to the extent of movement of the control member, whereby an exceedingly accurate control may be exercised by the operator over the shitting oi the gears. Such a mechanism is known in the art as a follow-up control, and in one embodiment of my invention thereis disclosed a so-called line type oi. follow-up valve for controlling a vacuum suspended motor operable to establish the transmission in any one 01' its four settings. a

A still further object is to provide a fluid pressure operated power gear shifting mechanism having a manually operable control member and means controlled thereby in such a manner that the movements of such control member to eilect ,a shifting of the transmission gears will be resisted by a force substantially proportional to the extent oi movement of the gear shifting member and also proportional to the force exerted by the transmission operating power means, whereby a feel" or reaction to shifting will be experienced by the operator in a manner simulating the reaction encountered in manually shitting transmission gears in the conventional manner. l

Other objects of the invention and desirable details of construction and combinations of parts will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating said embodiments, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the principal elements or the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view or the steering wheel for controlling the transmission operating mechanism;

Figures 3 and 4 disclose, in detail, the principal portion of the transmission and valve operating linkage of my invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional view oi the transmission operating motor, disclosing, in detail, the valve mechanism for controlling the operation of the motor;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views of of the changespeed transmission operated by the transmission operating means constituting the essence 01' my invention;

Figure 9 is a view disclosing a modified form of connection between the transmission disclosed in Figures 6, 7 and 8 and the transmission operating means constituting my invention;

Figures 10 and 11 are views disclosing details of the gearing mechanism mounted on the end of the steering post and constituting a portion of the means for both operating the transmission and controlling the operation of the transmission operating motor;

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the solenoid operated cut-out valve for the transmission operating motor; and

Figures 13 and 14 are views, similar to Figures 3 and 4, disclosing a modified form of transmission and valve operating linkage.

In that embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figure l, a transmission operating double-acting pressure diflerentlal operated motor Ill, preferably though not necessarily of the vacuum suspended type, is controlled by a soecalled internal valvular mechanism I! mounted within the motor been referred to, the operation of the transmission operating power means will now be described and, incidentally, a detailed description of the mechanism given. Describing the sequence of operations of the transmission, after having started the engine to produce a source of vacuum from the intake manifold, the clutch pedal 26 is depressed to disengage the clutch. The shift lever I4, which is pivotally mounted at 22 to a hollow casing 24 projecting from the upper end of a tubular member 26, is then rotated upwardly against the action of a spring 28 to the position disclosed in dotted lines in Figure 1. The member 26 is secured to the steering post by brackets, not shown. Incidentally, it is to be noted that the shift lever I4 is shown out of position for the purpose of illustration.

The above-described operation may be defined as the cross-shift movement of the selector and is, of course, to a degree similar to the lateral movement of the conventional gear shift'lever of the standard transmission operating mechanism of the day. With this movement of the selector, a rod 36, secured at its upper end to the shift lever, is bodily moved downwardly through the tube 26. The rod is pivotally connected at its lower end 32 to a lever 34 pivotally mounted at 36 to a bracket 38. This bracket extends from a gear housing 46 secured to the lower end of the steering post l6 by a bracket 42. The actuation of the lever 34 serves to rotate a crank 44, Figure l, the lever and crank being interconnected by means of Bowden wire connection 46. Rotation of the crank 44 effects a lateral movement of a sleeve 48, the sleeve and crank being interconnected by means of a pinion 56 mounted on one end of a pin 52, said pinion being housed within the top 54 of a change-speed transmission 56. Lateral bodily movement of the sleeve 48 moves projections 56 and 66 extending therefrom, which projections select one or the other of the gear, operating forks 62 and 64, all as disclosed in Figures 7 and 8.

After the first and reverse gear fork 62 of the transmission has been selected, the shift lever I4 is moved angularly clockwise to place the transmission in low gear. With this movement, the ,tube 26 is rotated, resulting in the rotation of a bevel gear or pinion 66 secured thereto, all as disclosed in Figures 1, 10 and 11. The pinion 66 meshes with a bevel gear 68 mounted on one end of a pin 16 journaled in a housing 12, all of these elements being housed within the casing 46. To the outer end of the pin 16 is secured a crank I4.

The clockwise movement of the selector thus effects a counterclockwise movement of the crank I4, placing a link I6 under compres'sion. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, disclosing in detail the valve and transmission operating linkage, the aforementioned movement of the link 16 in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3 serves to rotate, in a counterclockwise direction, a pair of so-called reaction links 18 and 86, connected to the furcations 82 and 84 of the yoked end of the link I6 by means of a pin 86. As disclosed in Figures 3 and v 2,227,273 and disclosed in detail in Figure 5. The valve 4,thelinks'|6and66aresecuredtoaso-cal1ed transmission operating power lever or crank 66 by means of a pin 66. Rotation of the links 16 and 66 about the pin 66 as a fulcrum serves to place a valve operating tubular member 62, Figure 5, under compression, said member being connected to the reaction links by means of a crank or valve operating lever 64 pivotally mounted to the.crank 66 by means of a pin 66, said crank 64 being connected to the reaction link 66 by a pin 68. In this operation, the crank 64 fulcrums on the pin 66, the power lever 66, of course, remaining stationary until the valve is cracked.

Completing the description of the valve cracking operation, when the links I6 and 66 rotate counterclockwise about the pin 66, a yoke I66, connected to the links 16 and 66 by means of a pin I62, is moved to the left in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3; This movement of the yoke I66 serves to move to the left a hollow connecting rod I64 connected thereto. and, as above described, the valve operating member l2 is moved to the right at the same time. As disclosed in Figure 5, the valve operating members 62 and I64 are provided at their ends with valve members I66 and I66, the latter constituting .a portion of the hub of the piston member of the vacuum suspended motor I6. When the members 62 and I64 are moved to the right and left respectively, port H6 in the valve member I66 is brought into registry with the interior of the hollow connecting rod I 64, which is vented, via its end I I2, to -the atmosphere.

It should be noted here that in the position disclosed in Figure 5, that is when the transmission is neutral and the selector is in its neutral position, both of the compartments H4 and IIS of the motor I6 are connected to the intake manifold via conduit II6, tube 62, valve port I26, recess I22, valve port 6 and valve port I24. When the engine is idling, creating a vacuum in the intake manifold, the compartments II4 and I I6 are partially evacuated by virtue of the aforementioned connectionsthus providing what is termed in the art a vacuum suspended motor."

Continuing the detailed description of the operation of the valve and the resulting operation of the motor, when the compartment 4 is vented to the atmosphere, the resulting differential of pressure to which the motor piston I26 is subjected results in a movement of the piston to the right to thereby establish the transmission in low gear, it being remembered that the shift lever I4 had been moved to select the first and reverse shift rail for operation. However, in order to complete the low gear operation of the transmission, the shift lever I4 must be moved to its extreme low gear position, whereupon the corresponding movement of valve members I66 and I08 will keep the valve open to thereby, energize the motor. If the operator desires to only partially mesh the gears, he moves the selector to a position short of its extreme low gear position, this operation resulting, with applicant's mechanism, in what is known in the art as a follow-up to-lap operation of the valve mechanism I2.

Describing this operation in detail, after the valve is cracked, that is opened, by the simultaneous movement in opposite directions of the valve members I66 and I66and" the movement of the shift lever I4 then suspended, there follows the movement of the piston I26 and its connected valve member I 66 to the right, Figure 5, until land portions I26 and I36 on the spool-shaped valve 76 member I08, cover the ports Ill and I24. The valve is nowin the so-called lapped; position, and the low gears of the on remain only partially engaged, orrather the low gear establishing movement of the" ton operating crank as is only partially completed. If, the selector is again moved toward its low gear position, the above-described operation is repeated. the valve members beingagain moved to crack the valve. It might be noted here that inasmuch as both valve members I06 and Ill are moved in opposite directions at the same time this results in a very rapid cracking of the valve with the resulting much-desired fast operation of the motor It to establish the transmission in low gear.

Describing now the aforementioned 'so-called "feel" operation of the mechanism constituting my invention, referring again to Figures 3 and 4, when the movement of the shift lever II issuapended, as above described, the subsequent movement of the yoke I00 to the right, or downwardly from the plane of the paper in Figure 4, results in a load, transmitted by pin 88, from the reaction levers 18 and in a direction up from the plane of the paper, Figure 4, thus imposing a load'upon.

the selector lever, which, of course, is a function of the degree of pressure to which the motor piston I26 is subjected. Briefly describing the follow-up and feel functions of the mechanism constituting my invention, the movement of the shift lever It to eflect the low gear setting of the transmission fully simulates a corresponding movement of a conventional gear shift lever, and the feel orv resistance to movement of the selector is a function of the load upon the transmission operating crank arm 88 from the motor I0.

Having established the transmission in low gear, the speed of the vehicle is increased, as desired, whereupon the clutch is again disengaged and the selector moved to its neutral position prior to its,

to place the transmission in second gear.

One feature of my invention relates to the means for preventing the above-described power operation of the transmission until the clutch is disengaged. To this end a three-way valve I32, Figure 12, operated by a solenoid I34, is incorporated in the conduit II8, interconnecting the intake manifold, not shown, with the motor III. When and only when the clutch is disengaged by the pedal 20, or, if desired, by power means such as disclosed in-Belcia Patent No. 1,470,272, a circuit breaker switch I36 is operated to complete an electrical circuit to energize the solenoid. When the solenoid is energized, a valve member I38 of the three-way valve is moved upwardly from the position disclosed in Figure 12 against the tension of a return spring I 40 to interconnect the, partially evacuated manifold with the motor It to thus permit an energization of the motor to establish the transmission in gear. When the clutch is A engaged, the circuit, which includesa battery I, the vehicle's ignition switch I. the breaker switch I36 and the solenoid Ill, is broken and by meansof the cable "201 a Bowden control, the

conduit I of which is secured by a bracket I to the cover plate 54 of the M ii. i

There is disclosed in Figuru Band 14 a modified form of so-called follow-up and feel-producing valve and tn operating linkage. Briefly describing this linkage and its operation, which is similar in function to the linkage disclosed in Figures 3 and 4 and is designed to operate the valve mechanism of the motor of Figure 5, when the selector operated valve operating yoke I 88 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 13, there results a counterclockwise movement of links I1. and I12 about the then immovable pin I" as a fulcrum. This movement effects, by means of pin I16, a clockwise rotation of socalled reaction links I1! and I" about a pin II2 from the plane of the paper, Figure 14, the simultaneous movement of the yokes I and II. eifectingthe above-described rapid cracking of the valve.

.Describing the valve lapping operation of this.

valve operating linkage and also the resultant socalled feel reaction, when the driver of the vehicle only partially moves the selector toward, say, its low gear position, the yoke I. is, of course, momentarily held stationary,and immediatelythereafter the yoke I88, loaded by the piston I26 of the 1 motor III, moves to the left, Figure 13. to move the power arm I in a clockwise direction and thus move the low and reverse gearshift rail toward its low gear position. This movement laps the valve as described in detail supra. ,As to the feel or increased load imposed upon, the selector, it will be noted that the reaction links I18 and I8! function as a lever of the second class as the crank I is being moved. The reaction links pivoting about pin I16 as a fulcrum impose aload upon thelinks I10 and I12 andconsequentlyupon the yoke I", which load is a function of the pressure exerted upon the motor piston. This load is defined in the art as the feel of the transmission control I lever, that is, the shift lever l4.

Although this invention, has=been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, the principles involved are susceptible oi numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended v v a I I claim: I 1 e In an automotive vehicle provided with a change-speed transmission and a steering post,

a bracket secured to the extremelower end of said s'teeringpost and a gear housing'integrally connected with said bracket, power means for in the post, a rod telescoped within said tubular member, and means including a bracket secured to said gear housing, a lever mounted on said bracket, and a Bowden control interconnecting said lever and the shift rail selecting mechanism or the transmission, and means interconnecting said tubular 5 member and shift rail operating mechanism '0! the transmission including aplurality of intermeshing gears housed within said gear housing. HAROLD W. PRICE. 

